Scott uses lay-off to fine-tune

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Adam Scott knows how to win but is still learning how to deal with the repercussions of success. The Players Championship winner is back after five weeks off to head a strong field at the $5.49 million Deutsche Bank-SAP Open.

The event includes world top-10 players Ernie Els and Padraig Harrington, but not three-time winner Tiger Woods, who did not accept an invitation this year.

Scott said he had taken the time off because he played too soon after his big win at TPC in March and missed the cut at the next two events, including the United States Masters, as a result.

The 23-year-old Australian had only one day off after The Players Championship, often called the fifth major, then jetted down to the BellSouth Classic, only to watch his game explode in the second round. He was seven over during a five-hole stretch, got himself bounced out of that event, then badly missed the cut a week later at the Masters. He said the pace of life after his title was just too hectic.

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"My game kind of blew up there at the BellSouth Classic and never really recovered for Augusta," Scott said. "You know it's all a learning process and hopefully in the future I'll know I need the time to wind down after a big win."

But Scott denied that his poor performance at Augusta had led to his parting company with respected British caddie Alastair McLean. "It wasn't directly related to Augusta," said the Australian, who has Greg Norman's bagman Tony Navarro working for him this week.

"That had nothing to do with it. Alastair and I had a really great run together and I think he did a lot of good things for my game, but the time had come where we needed to go in different directions."

Scott spent his five-week lay-off on the beach in Australia, although he did find time to visit swing coach Butch Harmon in Las Vegas.